The family of Hector “Macho” Camacho tried to decide Wednesday whether he should be removed from life support after a shooting in his Puerto Rican hometown left the former boxing champion clinging to life and his fans mourning the loss of a dynamic and often troubled athlete.

Doctors at the Centro Medico trauma center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, found that Camacho had irregular and intermittent brain activity late Wednesday, said Dr. Ernesto Torres, the center’s director.

“We can’t declare him brain dead,” he said. “We’re going to ask the people of Puerto Rico to keep praying.”

Torres said doctors will conduct additional tests early Thursday but warned the prognosis remains dire.

“The changes have been more negative than positive,” he said, adding that Camacho does not have enough blood coursing through his brain.

Doctors initially had said Camacho was in critical, but stable condition and expected to survive after he was shot Tuesday night in the city of Bayamon. But his condition worsened overnight and his heart stopped at one point, Torres said.

The 50-year-old Camacho was shot as he and a friend sat in a Ford Mustang parked outside a bar. Police spokesman Alex Diaz said officers found nine small bags of cocaine in the friend’s pocket, and a 10th bag open inside the car.

Camacho’s mother, Maria Matias, who flew in from New York, will lead the discussion about whether he should be removed from life support, said Ismael Leandry, a longtime friend and former manager who was also at the hospital.

“We just have to wait to see if ‘Macho’ gets better. It’s a hard battle,” Leandry said.

Soccer

Madrid, Milan advance in Champions League

Real Madrid, Arsenal, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke were among the teams advancing to the knockout rounds of the Champions League, while Premier League winner Manchester City was eliminated in the group stage for the second straight year.

Nine-time champion Madrid finished a man short but held on for a 1-1 tie with Manchester City. Karim Benzema scored in the 10th minute for Madrid (2-1-2), and Sergio Aguero converted a penalty kick in the 74th for City (0-2-3) after Alvaro Arbeloa pulled him down and received a second yellow card.

“With the array of players at their disposal it is amazing they have been eliminated at the group stage two years running,” Jose Mourinho said. “If it was Madrid I think the press wouldn’t let me return to Madrid.”

Chelsea fires manager Di Matteo, hires Benitez for now

Chelsea hired former Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez as interim soccer manager until the end of the season after firing Roberto Di Matteo, an appointment that may pave the way for an approach to Pep Guardiola.

Di Matteo, 42, was fired after a 3-0 loss at Juventus that left the Blues on the brink of elimination from the Champions League, a competition they won in May.

NHL

League rejects union offer

The NHL rejected the latest players union proposal despite significant concessions from the union 67 days into the lockout.

“We’re still far apart, but hopefully there’s some momentum so we can bring this to a conclusion,” commissioner Gary Bettman said. “There was some movement in our direction and it was appreciated.”

Donald Fehr, the union’s executive director, said the league responded to the offer with “nothing on significant economic issues” and “no reciprocity” in the talks at the NHL office in Manhattan.

With no deal imminent, the first half of the December schedule is expected to be canceled.

Baseball

Buehrle says Marlins lied to him

Mark Buehrle issued a parting shot at Miami Marlins management after his stay with the team lasted only one tumultuous season.

The left-hander, who signed a four-year contract a year ago, was part of the blockbuster trade that sent Buehrle, All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes, right-hander Josh Johnson and two other players to the Toronto Blue Jays. With the deal, the Marlins pared $146.5 million in future payroll.

“I’m upset with how things turned out in Miami,” Buehrle said in a statement. “Just like the fans in South Florida, I was lied to on multiple occasions. But I’m putting it behind me and looking forward to moving on with my career.”

Elsewhere

• Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek still hopes to compete at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in nine weeks after having surgery to repair a sports hernia.

• NASCAR driver JeffBurton had surgery on his wrist to alleviate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.